Automobiles that run on electricity, whether in the form of pure electric drive or in a hybrid version that also includes a gasoline powered engine in various combinations with batteries, have potential for reducing the consumption of oil. The common problem however is the limited range of a car powered by batteries. Purely electric cars currently average a range of about 40 miles prior to recharging. And, too, recharging typically requires several hours and is conducted with electricity from the power grid, which translates into a large and perhaps unsustainable load on the power grid. The cost of electricity and the ongoing costs in time and money of running an electric car will likely hinder their acceptance and limit their numbers.
To circumvent such problems an apparatus is needed to continuously recharge an auto's battery or batteries, during auto operation, and thereby extend driving range. This can be an alternator continuously recharging the battery of a conventional gasoline engine through a KERS (kinetic energy recovery system).
The first step in analyzing a KERS solution is to profile typical driving scenarios. The first scenario that consumes the most gasoline with the least efficiency is city driving or multiple start stop driving. In this scenario, start up consumes a large amount of energy to get a typically 3000+ pound vehicle to go from 0 to 40 MPH or so. Once at speed, the energy required to maintain drops off. One problem is that maintaining speed usually only lasts for 2 to 5 minutes, or less, before the next stop occurs. That stop, a ii traffic signal for example, might last anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes. With a gasoline engine, this stopped time continues to expend energy with the engine idling. For many, such driving might last from 15 minutes to about an hour and only cover 5 to 25 miles.
An electric automobile follows a similar profile in start and stop driving, with a few differences. An electric auto requires similar expenditures of energy in starting and maintaining speed. However, a major difference exists at a stop. In an electric car, there is no idling to consume energy.
Various types of KERS are known in the prior art. The present apparatus provides a unique KERS with a hydraulically powered double flywheel alternator apparatus including a first flywheel directly mounted to the alternator rotor shaft and a second flywheel further including a weight adjusting mechanism to increase the flywheel effect and to enhance momentum energy capturing capabilities. The second flywheel is also mounted to the alternator rotor shaft.